Tuna and White Bean Salad

Name: Tuna and White Bean Salad
Total time: 10 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 2 cans canned tuna; 2 cans canned white beans; 2 tomatoes; 1/4 red onion; 1/2 cup parsley; 3 tbsp lemon juice; 2 tbsp olive oil; 1 tsp mustard

Tuna, white beans, tomato, and parsley in a lemon-mustard dressing.

Cooking time: 10 min
Hands-on time: 10 min
Difficulty: Easy
Calories: 340
Contains: Fish

Tuna and beans make this a meal rather than a side; thorough draining keeps the dressing concentrated.

Before you start

Before turning on the heatDrain and dry the tuna and beans before mixing; do not rinse the tuna.
The twenty-minute promiseThe clock runs from the first cut to serving. There is no hidden soak or marinade and no pre-cooked ingredient unless it is clearly labeled canned or ready to eat.

Ingredients

4people

Amounts follow the number of people

For the salad

2 cans canned tuna — drained and roughly flaked
2 cans canned white beans — drained and rinsed
2 tomatoes — small dice
1/4 red onion — thinly sliced
1/2 cup parsley — chopped
3 tbsp lemon juice — fresh
2 tbsp olive oil — for the dressing
1 tsp mustard — smooth

To double the recipe, use a wider pan or bowl and adjust salt, acid, and spices by tasting rather than arithmetic alone.

Equipment

Large mixing bowl — The wide bowl distributes the dressing without crushing the ingredients.
Sharp knife and chopping board — Set it out before starting so the recipe stays within its short cooking time.

Method

Drain and dry the tuna and beans and chop the tomato, onion, and parsley.
3 min
You’ll know it’s ready when
The ingredients are drained, dry, and ready to mix.
Tip: Clinging water dilutes dressing, so drying is part of the recipe.
Whisk lemon, mustard, olive oil, and a pinch of salt and pepper.
2 min
You’ll know it’s ready when
The dressing is emulsified and tastes slightly stronger than it should on its own.
Tip: Taste the dressing on a leaf or bean from the salad, not only from the spoon.
Rub the onion with one spoonful of dressing for a minute to soften its bite.
1 min
You’ll know it’s ready when
Pieces are similar in size so each forkful holds more than one ingredient.
Tip: Keep leaves and herbs slightly larger than the beans or grains so they do not disappear.
Toss the beans, tomato, parsley, and onion with the dressing.
2 min
You’ll know it’s ready when
Every ingredient has a light coating and no dressing pools at the bottom.
Tip: Fold from the bottom of the bowl instead of pressing down on the ingredients.
Add the tuna last and fold gently so it remains in visible flakes.
2 min
You’ll know it’s ready when
The salad is balanced, crisp, and ready to serve.
Tip: Add fragile ingredients last so they keep their shape.